As indie devs, we’ll be the first to tell you that planning and executing a tradeshow can feel like an enormous undertaking – but it’s also a rewarding one! The team was Boston-bound in March for PAX East, and while this wasn’t our first event, it was NO LOVE LOST’s first tradeshow! After rounding up all the experience we’ve collected over the years showing own indie games, we wanted to share this quick guide on how to plan a tradeshow!
PLANNING THE FANTASY (on an indie budget!)
First things first — get organized!
Once you’ve been officially registered for your event, you’ll be given a contact person for any event-related queries you might have! They might even provide you with a checklist but if not, you should make one for yourself!
Determine that budget!
Before doing anything, know your budget! Make sure to give yourself a buffer because sometimes life happens, iterations are needed, etc.. We broke all our needs down in a spreadsheet, creating sections for things like booth, equipment, lodging, travel, décor, food, per diem costs and went from there!
Determine the numbers for your biggest costs
How many people will you be bringing? This will tell you how many badges you need, how many rooms to book for your hotel or Airbnb and help you decide what kind of transportation would be more ideal.
Will you need to rent certain equipment? (tables, chairs, etc)
How much equipment are you bringing? See if you can cut costs by renting a cargo van or consider looking into shipping services.
Do your research & find the best vendors for you!
You’ll never know if you could’ve gotten a better deal on your marketing assets if you didn’t do your vendor research thoroughly! Pick a handful of interesting vendors for all your needs and ask them all for quotes (it’s free, why not!) before making your decision. Bonus points if you can check multiple marketing assets off your list at one place! Vendors often offer deals for big bulk orders!
Designing your promotional materials
Because promotional material can get pricey, it’s important to consider WHAT you want to convey with it. What’re your goals? Leave behinds are an easy way for people to remember you. Banners, designed right, can be an eye-catching way to display your art. Smaller keepsakes like pins or cards, are some of the more cheaper promotional materials you can buy! Investing your budget in printing a batch of 1,000 cards with a QR directing to your Steam page can really bring traffic to your demo or increase your wishlist numbers!
Do a dress rehearsal
To truly see how all of your booth elements work together, do a dress rehearsal before you decide on your booth size! Taping down the size of your booth on your studio’s floor can be beneficial in ensuring that the layout you have planned fits and gives you the best chances of visibility! Also consider if you need wifi or a LAN setup! This will likely affect your pc or console layout and require some testing beforehand! Remember that you’ll need somewhere to hide your belongings, welcome in traffic and have your team members stationed. In the end, knowing ahead of time where you want everything to go will save you a lot of time once you’re there!
SETTING THE STAGE (getting the most out of your booth space)
Visibility: It’s vital to figure out where the crowds will be coming from – are there popular booths nearby? A food court? Prioritize THOSE corners to show off your assets. Use height to your advantage or consider using the sound effects / music from your trailer to draw people in!
Accessibility: It should be clear when people approach your booth how to follow its flow! Where will they line up? Are the chairs and tables easy to access? Is there room to chat inside or off to the side? It’s important to try and accommodate everyone who will visit!
Aesthetic: Use your game’s theme to your advantage! Just adding a little color/texture to your table cloth or playing with lighting and table knickknacks can really impact a players immersion and clue them into what your game is about quicker. The best indie games use decor to help themselves stand out!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! (grabbing the crowd’s attention)
Setting up / Dismantling Your Booth!
This is probably one of the most tedious parts of a tradeshow, especially the bigger and more complicated your booth is! Give your team roles: assembling/disassembling furniture, unloading/loading your equipment…this will ensure everyone knows what they’re doing. If you have questions or need help, call up your enforcer/volunteer, they’ll introduce themselves when you first arrive and will be one of your biggest supporters throughout the event!
Nail that pitch!
Arguably the most important part of this whole process – take some time to consider your game’s key selling points. What elements set you apart? Also consider what CTA you’ll be closing your pitch out with. Do you want them to wishlist your game? Maybe you need newsletter signups for playtests. Too many CTAs can be overwhelming so choose the most important one for you right now. Set a meeting to practice out loud with your team and make sure everyone is on the same page. It’s okay to have your own flare but set aside some key words or rules for people to use! Pitches should be no longer than 30 seconds!
Just say hi – what’s the worst that can happen?
Here’s the thing to keep in mind before approaching people – players are at tradeshows to DISCOVER. They share your passion for games! There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘Hi! Want to hear about X game?’ The worst that can happen is they say no (And it will happen! Just let it roll off you!) and focus on your next person. Most people will be excited to hear about your game as long as you’re kind!
BONUS TIPS!
Drink LOTS of water!
Wear comfortable shoes
Get lots of rest
Eat your lunch!
Take turns taking some time off
Give everyone roles and responsibilities
All of this to say…tradeshows are kind of like putting on a play. You’ve got your set, your actors, the audience…and just like a play, nailing that set will help immerse your audience.
Our biggest tip? Treat your audience well. Don’t be afraid to geek out about your game, ask how their event is going and get to know them a little – at the end of the day, this is your community!
Treat them with kindness because there’s nothing worth more of your time and energy than what you put into your community!